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Promoted from the diaries. 40+ comments while still in the diary section is pretty impressive! Sorry about erasing the poll results. Promoting a story does that -- a Scoop bug. -- kos]
Before I get to the candidates, I should say that I've been thinking a lot about the vice presidency lately, and I have narrowed the list, from where I'm sitting at least, to five general requirements.
1. The veep must be good in a crisis. Face it, the only way a VP becomes a P in less than eight years is if something goes horribly wrong. We need someone who will make a good president and, more importantly, stay level-headed if the unthinkable does happen.
- A vice presidential candidate also should bring balance to a ticket, geographic, ideological, and background. We're not going to win any states by virtue of who's second banana on the ticket, but a Dean-Kerry pairing for example, or a Clark-Edwards team, would be ill-advised for geographical reasons; a Kerry-Graham ticket doesn't make sense because both are senators.
- In addition to balance, the veep should bring real assets to the campaign. As I said we won't win any states with the VP alone, but there should be a constituency that will come along, or the ability to raise money, or some other tangible in the plus column.
- A veep should make a good attack dog. He or she must have credibility on the issues and be tenacious during the campaign.
- But the veep should look good doing it. The grumpy old men contest that was the VP race in 2000 was just no fun. Lieberman and Cheney never looked pleasant on the warpath. We need a candidate who can cut Cheney down to size with a big smile on his or her face.
Finally, it may seem bizarre to be ranking VP candidates when we don't know who will be at the top of the ticket. But I think at this point, there is a clear frontrunner in the race, and only a very small handful of others with the chance to catch him. These are the candidates I think would generally work well with anyone who might make it.
So, the very first 2004 Vice Presidential Cattle Call, 10/22/03:
1.
John Edwards. Yes, he still has a shot at the big stuffed bear that is the nomination, but given his current national poll standings and his early-primary state poll standings, his shot seems pretty long. That said, he seems to be a favorite among many, though not necessarily my personal top pick. He has, as I see them six major assets, in no particular order:
- He is young, or at least young-looking. There is a real chance that someone looking at a ?-Edwards ticket will see a potential 16-year administration.
- To go along with that, he provides the perfect contrast to Dick Cheney. Can you just imagine Edwards, with his butter-soft southern-charm drawl against Cheney's snarly rasp in a debate? Which one of the these men would you rather have a heartbeat away from the presidency?
- His Iraq war eesolution vote will be tough to reconcile if Dean is atop the ticket, but his steadfast opposition to the $87 billion is a hopeful sign. Plus, that October 2002 vote, if Dean's opposition to the war becomes an issue, could provide some cover for the ticket.
- He's got money.
- He will not be leaving an open senate seat for a Republican governor to fill, unlike, say, Bob Graham, John Kerry, or Blanche Lincoln.
- He has an attractive platform, even if his presidential campaign can't get off the ground. He certainly could handle the Oval Office himself.
2.
Bill Richardson. I know he has resisted suggestions about the 2004 VP slot before, as he was just elected New Mexico's governor in 2002. But he has administration experience under Clinton, he has foreign policy chops that even Bush appreciates (Bush sent Richardson to North Korea last year), and he will provide a geographic balance to any of the major POTUS candidates. He may also bring along hispanic voters in the Southwest, making Arizona a little more likely (though Bush's 34% re-elect in a recent poll already speaks volumes). He's got Washington insider status for those who need it on the ticket (Dean, Clark) or outsider status, too (for Edwards and Gephardt) depending on how you want to spin his career. He may be my top choice personally, but Edwards seems to have more appeal in general.
3.
Mary Landrieu. The Louisiana senator is also popular among those of us who speculate for several reasons:
- She beat Bush in 2002--at least, in her run-off, she went straight against the administration and provided one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary season.
- Like Edwards, she provides a striking contrast to the gruff Cheney, and is young enough to seem like presidential material in eight years.
- She is inoffensively centrist; she (unfortunately) just voted for the partial-birth abortion ban, but comes down on the right (correct) side often enough.
- She would provide a geographical balance to a Dean or a Kerry candidacy, and, assuming all goes well in the Louisiana governor's election in a few weeks, can be replaced in the Senate by a Democrat.
4.
Wesley Clark. Assuming he won't bring his bungling campaign staff with him, of course.
5.
Joe Biden. I was never very impressed with Biden, but he does have foreign policy credentials, will have his seat filled by a Democrat, and, as far as I can tell, is not offensive.
6.
Dick Gephardt. Since he's not running for his House seat, whether he wins the nomination or not.
7.
Blanche Lincoln. Her Senate seat would go to a Republican, but she has some of the same appeal that Mary Landrieu does.
8.
Janet Napolitano. Like Blanche Lincoln plus Bill Richardson. She may be a mover in this race.
9.
Bob Graham, Carol Moseley Braun (tie). Graham may well be recovered from his disastrous presidential bid by July, in which case he may be a good choice again. Right now, he's slightly damaged goods. Braun has acquitted herself well in this campaign, but she has too much baggage from her previous life that may hurt her.
10.
Howard Dean. The debate with Cheney would look too much like a dogfight. It would be nice to have his grass- and netroots along for the ride if he were not the nominee, but I have a hard time imagining him taking, say, Dick Gephardt's orders.
11.
Jay Rockefeller, Cecil Andrus, Robert Byrd (tie). Too old. Sorry.